Wire-tying machine



Jan. 21, 1930. M. E. GALVAN WIRE TYING MACHINE Original Filed Jan. 14, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet INVENTUR M E. GALVAN ATTIE muw/W fi/pvvv H.. 8 Wk; i 7 o I I i I y m x 5 g 4 m m H 4:, ,T 41 1 F To W G M M m M/ V 0 7 w r W J m m 0 i /7 Jan. 21, 1930. M, GALVAN 1,744,113

WIRE TYING MACHINE Original Filed Jan. 14, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 F g 4 INVENTUR ME. GALVAN nc WWW ATT'YE Jan. 21, 1930. M. E. GALVAN 1,744,113

WIRE TYING MACHINE Original Filed Jan. 14. 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTUR ME. GALVAN Fig 9 mg 10 IY ATTYE Jan. 2 l 1930. M. E. GALVAN WIRE TYING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet Original Filed Jan. 14. 1925 Fig INVEN TUH ME. GALVAN Patented Jan. 21, 1930 PATENT OFFICE MICHAEL E. GALVAN, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA WIBE-TYING MACHINE Application filed January 14, 1925, Serial No. 2,310. Renewed November 19, 1928.

This invention resides in the provision of an improved machine for binding and tying boxes, crates and the like with wire and comprises a comparatively simple and efficacious mechanism whereby boxes or like pieces may be tied with strands of wire in a reliable and expeditious manner, said mechanism in cluding a novel means for securely knotting and fastening the strands of wire on the box or other object.

The machine of this invention includes a means for feeding lengths of wire in position to be wrapped around a box; means for cutting the Wires so that they will lie close to and on the bottom, sides and top of the box; and means for securely knotting or tying the ends of the Wires so that a tight, reliable binding is produced.

One of the main purposes of the invention 0 is to provide for the making of an exceptionally tight and secure knot in the fastening of the endsof the Wires together, the method of fastening the ends of the wire and the other especially constructed and arranged elements of the invention effecting a saving in the amount of wire used and providing for a more expeditious and reliable binding of boxes and the like.

With the above mentioned and other objectsin view, the invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and set forth in the claims hereto appended. it being understood 351 that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction within the scope of the claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 represents a fragmentary side elevation of the machine of the invention.

Fig. 2 represents a sectional view of the machine showing the mechanism for the main part in end elevation.

Fig. 3 represents a top plan view of the machine of the invention.

Fig. 4 represents a detail of the invention.

Fig. 5 represents a fragmentary front ele- Vation of a means for forming the knot.

Fig. 6 represents a top plan view of the means shown in Fig. 5.

7 represents an enlarged sectional view of a part of the wire bending mechamsm.

Fig. 8 represents a fragmentary enlarged view in front elevation of wire stretching and bending means.

Fig. 9 represents a fragmentary side ele vation of the wire knotting mechanism.

Fig. 10 represents a fragmentary enlarged side elevation of a part of said mechanism.

Fig. 11 represents a fragmentary elevation of the part of the mechanism particularly showing the wire feeding and box supporting means.

Fig. 12 represents a sectional view partly in elevation showing a part of the Wire feeding means.

Fig. 13 represents a detail in elevation of the means for cutting off the wire at proper lengths. 7

Fig. 14 represents a top plan view of the knot.

The machine of this invention as illustrated in detail in the accompanyin drawings comprises essentially a means for feeding tie wire from reels into position with relation to a box or like object such that on cutting of lengths of the wire, said lengths mav be bent around and tied on said box. Inconjunction with this feeding mechanism is a means automatically operating to cut off the wire at the proper length. Following the operation of this cutting means, the first bending mechanism operates to bend the ends of the wire up along the ends or sides of a box and upon the completion of this operation an additional bending means is brought into operation to bend the upstanding ends of the wire to lie on top of the box. During this last operation, a means is automatically operated to bind or stretch the wire and to move it into position to be knotted or tied. On such movement of the ends of the wire into the last named position, the ends overlap and the wire knotting or tying means automatically operates to twist the ends and overlapped portions of the wire in opposite directions so as to form a neat, secure tie and to cause the wire to bind firmly around the box.

The mechanism of this invention in the present embodiment is designed to simultaneously bind two wires on a box, but it is to be understood by increasing these operating units in a single machine, a plurality of boxes may be simultaneously bound with the wire, if desired.

Referring in detail to the embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings, there is provided a suitable frame work 1, supporting in the lower portion thereof on standards 2, reels 3 of binding wire 4. In the present instance there are two of such reels. The wire is run off the tops of the reels through pairs of feed rollers 5 and 6. The rollers 5 are rotatably mounted in bearings 7 yieldingly urged downward by springs 8 contained in slots 9 in the bearings, which springs bear upon trunnions 10 of the rollers. The peripheries of the rollers 5 have ribs 12 engaging in grooves 13 in the rollers 6. The rollers 6 are fixed to a rotatable shaft 14 journaled in bearings 15 in the frame. A sprocket wheel 16 on the shaft 7 supports a sprocket chain 17, which chain is driven by a sprocket wheel 18 on a shaft 19. The shaft 19 is journaled in the frame 1 and on one end carries a pulley 2O operated by a belt 21 driven by a motor or other source of power, not shown.

The wires gripped between the rollers are advanced on rotation of the rollers and pass through V-shaped guides 22 over the box supporting means 23 and beneath the box as shown at A. Between the guides 22 and rollers 5 and 6 are cutting mechanisms generally designated 24, which when the wire is positioned beneath the box, automatically operate to cut off the wire in the proper lengths to form ties for the box, the ends of the wire then projecting equal distances beyond opposite sides of the box.

The cutting mechanisms each comprise a block 25 suitably fastened in the frame so that the wire will pass over it. In this block is a notch or depression 26 over which the wire passes. A knife 27 vertically reciprocally mounted in a supporting and guide sleeve 28 is adapted to extend into engagement with the wire over the notch so as to cut the wire. This knife is normally held upward clear of the wire by an expansion spring 29. It is operated by a cam 30 journaled in a bearing 31 of the frame. This cam is connected by a link 32 with a lateral extension 33 on the knife. When the abutment member 34 on the roller 6 engages the cam, once on each revolution of the roller, it moves the cam so as to uickly pull downward on the knife and cause t 1e latter to cut the wire. The springs 29 return the parts to normal position. The knives are joined to operate simultaneously, the two cams being mounted on a shaft 35 and the two links being connected to a rod 36 which is supported by lateral projections 33 on the knives.

The box supporting frame 23 has its ends contiguous with delivery and take ofl? chutes 37 and 38, the boxes being fed over the delivery chutes 37 onto the frame 23 and off of the frame 23 onto the take off chutes 38. The boxes may be moved by machinery or by hand as desired.

The frame 23 includes angle iron bars 39 which are spaced apart centrally of their ends so as to permit the two wires to be inserted beneath the box adjacent the ends, while the ends of the box are supported on the opposed end portions of said bars (see Fig. 1).

As soon as the wire has been out and is in position shown in Figs. 2 and 11, the first bending mechanism automatically operates. This bending mechanism comprises arms 40 on the shaft 19, provided on their outer ends with lugs 41 adapted to engage similar lugs 42 of horizontally disposed bars 43 supported on links 44 pivoted as at 45 to the frame work. hen the lugs 41 engage the lugs the cause the bars to swing forwardly and up wardly on the links. Attached to the pivots 45 for the links 44 are links 46 and 47 which are connected to the lower ends of pairs of vertical slide members 48 and 49 mounted on guides 50 on the frame. These slides are pushed forwardly and upwardly by said links when the bars 43 swing forward. The upper ends of the slides 48 and 49 are provided with lateral projections 51 having notches 52 in which the wire is received. These bars 48 and 49 are positioned so that the members 51 will be disposed close to the opposite sides of the box and when the bars 48 and 49 are pushed upwardly, the wire is bent upwardly to engage along opposite sides of the box as shown in Fig. 1. Springs 52 attached to the frame and bars 43 return this bending mechanism to normal position.

The bending mechanism for bending the ends of the wires downwardly and stretching the wire on top of the box, operates automatically following the first bending operation. This second bending mechanism is operated by a cam 54 which is in the form of an arcuate bar extending from the shaft 19. The cam 54 moves into engagement with the lower end of a crank arm which is fixed to a shaft 55' mounted on one side of the frame work. Between the ends of the crank arm, a link 57 is pivoted as at 58. This link extends laterally and is pivoted as at 59 to the upper end of a rocker 6O pivoted as at 61 centrally of its ends to a bracket 62 suitably mounted in the frame. The lower end of the rocker is pivoted as at 64 to one end of a link 65, corresponding to the link 57. The other end of this link is pivoted as at 66 to the lower end of a crank arm 67 fixed to a shaft 57 journaled on the other side of the frame.

Extending upwardly from the shafts 55 and 57' are crank arms 08 and 08, there being a pair of the arms 68 on the shaft 55, and a pair of the arms 68' on the shaft 57 on the other side of the box. Then the cam engages the crank arm 55 it moves the same outwardly, rotates the shaft 55, and through the connections described, moves the crank arm 07 so as to rotate the shaft 57. This causes the upper ends of said crank arms 68 and 08, to move towards one another simultaneously. The upper ends of the crank arms 68 and 68 have pivots 68", which slide in vertical slots 69 of depending lugs 70, on pairs of horizontally slidable bending members 71 and 72. Each of these members is slidable on bar 73, the bar being in turn supported by a hanger 7 1 suitably fastened to the frame and connected to the inner end of the bar. One of the slide members 72 shown in bottom plan view in Fig. 8, and has a rounded outer end 7 1 against which the wire is engaged and bent around, when the wire is bent upwardly by the first bending mechanism. As shown in Fig. 6, these slide members are disposed in the paths of the wire so that when the latter is bent upwardly it first encounters the rounded ends of the slide members and then slides along the sides of the slide members, snapping finally into upright position against the inner ends of said slide members adjacent to the sides of the hangers 7 1. The slide members 72 are pro vided along certain longitudinal edges with depending flanges 7 5. When the slide 1nembers aremoved inwardly on the guides, the forward edges engage and bend the wire downwardly on top of the box, the wire engaging the under side of the slides and being prevented from slipping out of place by the flanges 7 5. Pivoted as at 76 on the under side of each slide member is an arcuate jaw 77 adapted to clamp the wire between it and the flange 7 5. This jaw is normally maintained out of clamping position by an expansion spring 78 which holds the jaw so as to leave a space, between it and the flange, for the wire to extend. On each of the bars 73 is a wedge member 79 located at a point so that one end of the jaw 7? will engage the widest point on the wedge and cause the jaw to be moved into clamping position just before the completion of the second bending operation and the wire is bent to a substanjtially horizontal position. This gripping of the jaws with the wire between the flanges serves to tighten the wire on the box, said two slide members acting simultaneously to bring about the tightening of the wire.

As the wires are bent downwardly on top of the box they are caused to engage with the downwardly curving upper sides of bearing plates or arms 80, there being two pairs of such arms, one for each of the two twlsting 0r knotting devices, designated 81 and 82,

respectively. The engagement of the wire with these downwardly curving upper sides, causes the wire to be deflected and put under tension as it is bent downwardly so that it will readily snap into horizontal slots 83 opening in the outer'ends of said arms or plates 80. These slots are suiiiciently long to aliow the wire to move back into normal position aligned with the remaining positions of the wire extending around the box, the two ends of the wire being overlapped some two or more inches as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6. Mounted between each pair of the arms is a pinion 84 having a slot 85 corre sponding to the slot 83, and normally in registration with the latter so that the wires will snap into the slots of the pinion and the arms. To insure the proper positioning of the overlapping ends of the wire there are provided plungers 88 and 89. The head 90 of each plunger is provided with a V-shaped slot 91 opening at the outer end thereof. On opposite sides of the V-shaped slot there is provided a recess 92 adapted to receive the ends 93 of the bearings 80 so as to permit ribs 94 provided on the head to enter the slots 83 and 85 and push the wire into proper position into said slots. The V-shaped slot provides for guiding the wires into position relative to the plungers in the event that the wires do not snap into place in the slots at the completion of the second bending operation. The plungers are operated by a cam 95 fixed to the shaft 19, which cam is adapted to engage and move a vertical slide rod 96 mounted on a guide 97 on the frame work. The upper end of this rod 90 is connected to a crank arm 98 fixed to one end of a horizontal shaft 99. The shaft 99 is journaled in bearings 100. Fixed intermediate of its ends is a rocker arm 101 at the lower end of which is a pin and slot connection 102, connecting the plunger 88 so that when the shaft 99 is rotated in one direct-ion, the ilunger 88 will be moved forwardly. A shaft 103 similar to the one 99 is mounted above the plunger 89. A rocker arm 10d corresponding); to i the one 101, is mounted on this shaft and is connected to the upper end of the rocker arm 101 by a link 105. This rocker arm 10 1 is likewise con nected by a pin and slot connection with the plunger 89. 'lhrough thisarrangement the. bending mechanism operates both plungers simultaneously.

The means for rotating the gears to bring about the final operation of knotting and tying the ends of the wire comprises a large cam 10?. This cam is adapted to engage one end of a rocker arm 108 which is fastened to a shaft 109 mounted in brackets 110, depending from the frame. Connected with the ends of the rocker arm and extending upwardly therefrom are push rods 111 and 112. The push rods 111 and 112at their upper ends are connected to crank arms 113 and 114,

which are fixed to the ends of shafts 115 and 116 on which shafts gears 116 meshed with the pinions 87, are mounted. This arrangement provides for rotation of the gears 116 5 in opposite directions. To operate the other knotting or tying mechanism, a rocker arm 117 is fixed to the shaft 109 and. carries push rods 118 correspomling to the push rods on the other rocker arm 108. These push rods 0 are connected to arcuate crank arms 119.

The apparatus of this invention as shown in the accompanying drawings is adapted to simultaneously apply and tie wires to a box but it is to be understood that by increasing the number of operating mechanisms, provision may be made for tying a plurality of boxes simultaneously. It will be seen that on moving a box into position on the frame work and setting the machinery into operation, but a few moments is required for the applying and tying of two wires around the box, the entire operation being automatic. With the mechanism of this invention a great deal of time and labor may be saved in the tying of boxes and like articles, the special knot or tie insures a secure binding and fastening of the wires on the box.

I claim: 1. A machine for tying wire strands on 3 boxes comprising a frame, means on the frame for supporting a box to be tied, means for wrapping a strand of wire around a box with the ends of the wire overlapping on one side of the box, twisting mechanisms arranged to grip overlapped portions of the wire at spaced points adjacent to the ends of the wire and means for rotating said twisting mechanisms in opposite directions to twist overlapped portions of the wire in opposite directions.

2. A machine for tying wires on boxes comprising a frame adapted to support a box, means for wrapping a wire around the box so that the ends of the wire will overlap on one side of the box, means adapted to engage overlapped portions of the wire at spaced points near the ends thereof and for rotating said gripped portions in opposite directions to twist overlapped portions of the wire in opposite directions.

3. A machine for tying Wire strands around a box comprising a frame for supporting a box in position to be tied, means on the frame for wrapping wire strands around the box and overlapping ends of the wire on one side of the box, spaced pairs of holding members each havin slots, in which slots overlapped portions of the wire are engaged and held against twisting, a twisting member disposed between the holding members of each pair and having a slot receiving overlapped portions of the wire, and means for moving the twisting members in opposite directions to twist overlapped portions of the wire in opposite directions.

4. A machine for applying wire ties to boxes and the like comprising a frame, a support on the frame on which a box to be tied is mounted, means for feeding wire into position beneath the box, means operating to bend ends of the wire to extend upwardly along opposite sides of and above the box operating automatically following extension of the wire into position beneath the box, means operating automatically following the upward bending of the ends of the wire to bend said ends into overlapping relation on top of the box, rotatable twisting elements into engagement with which said ends are moved on the last named bending of the wire, said twisting elements engaging the overlapping portions of the wire adjacent the ends thereof and means for rotating said twisting elements in opposite directions to tie the ends of the wire together.

5. In a machine of the character described, a frame, means for supporting a box in posi tion to have a wire strand wrapped upon it, means for wrapping a strand around the box with the ends of the wire overlapping on one side of the box, spaced rotary members having radial slots therein in which said overlapped portions of the wire are engaged, means for moving the overlapped portions of the wire into the slots of said rotary members and means for rotating said rotary members in opposite directions to twist the overlapped portion of the wire which is extended between said rotary members and slots in said rotary members being of just sutlicient width to receive the wires and not sufiicient to permit the wires to be twisted one around the other within the slots.

6. A machine of the character described comprising a frame for supporting a box in position to have a wire strand wrapped around it, means for wrapping the strand of wire upon a box with the ends of the wire overlapping, which means includes arms movable over the top of the box. means associated with said arms adapted to engage the wire to tighten the same upon the box and means for engaging and twisting together the overlapped ends of the wire.

MICHAEL E. GALVAN. 

